“One of my goals was to win a men’s championship”

Roganstown star Seán Keeling has been tipped for stardom ever since he played his first Irish Championship aged 12 at the North of Ireland Championship in Royal Portrush. Five years on, he has the opportunity to lift his maiden men’s title at the Irish Close Men’s Amateur Championship in Dun Laoghaire.

The seventeen-year-old has put clear daylight between himself and the rest of the field after rounds of 66 and 69 lifted him to nine-under and with a four shot lead heading into today’s 36-hole final day.

Keeling has multiple big moments on his CV to date, none more so than the Junior Ryder Cup but winning at men’s level would be another step on the ladder before he heads Stateside for college later this summer.

“It’s one of my goals for the start of the year to win a men’s event and win a championship and it would be great to do that. There’s a lot of golf to be played so it’s about putting the head down for 36 holes and see where it leaves me,” said Keeling.

Keeling has more than held his own at men’s level, he shocked a top-class field at County Louth in 2022 by winning the Regional Qualifier for The Open Championship, and backed up that performance throughout 2023 to become one of Europe’s top young players.

Keeling very nearly got his hands on a men’s trophy at last year’s Brabazon Trophy, which was eventually won by Galway’s Liam Nolan.

Aged just 16 at the time, Keeling carried a five-shot lead into the final day before finishing fourth after a closing 76.

It could prove to be a blessing in disguise if he can use the lessons learned from that experience today as he looks to hold off Thomas Abom and Brian Doran.

“That was the first time I was in that position with a chance to win and a big lead in a big event,” reflected Keeling.

“It was new territory for me and maybe when you are in that position you have to move forward and set a scoring target for yourself and not hold on to your lead. Try and do what you’re doing rather than look back at other guys and see what they’re doing.

“I was pretty disappointed at the time but that’s how you learn by putting yourself in those positions. You learn more when you lose so it’s about using it as something positive instead of getting wrapped up in the negativity of losing or throwing it away. I learned a lot from that day so it can help me.”